Although many fire emergencies occur in the home, relatively few homes are equipped with a fire extinguisher because conventional units are too large or unattractive and therefore not favored in the home, especially in those areas where it is desirable that they be accessible. Moreover, when stored so that they are concealed from view they are apt to be misplaced, not readily accessible, or not properly maintained and, thus, are unavailable for use when actually needed. Similar objections to ready accessibility exist in offices, hotel rooms, etc.
Portable fire extinguishing apparatus which have found wide use contain water or finely divided powder under pressure, or foamable aqueous compositions. In general, the unit includes a tank containing the fire extinguishing medium under pressure, a valve mechanism usually of a pistol grip configuration, and a flexible discharge hose for directing the stream of fire extinguishing fluid when the unit is operated.
Although such fire extinguishers have been used for many years, their basic method of operation have not been significantly changed and the size and weight thereof have not been reduced to a point where aesthetic objections thereto are overcome. Over the years, improvements have been made in the valve mechanisms but they still generally serve as the sealing means for the fire extinguishing medium in the apparatus and require continuous operator control during operation. A flexible discharge hose is the most widely used method of directing the stream of fire extinguishing fluid which also requires attention by the operator. The size and construction of the tank of most commercially available units has also remained substantially unchanged, generally controlled by the theory that it must contain enough fire extinguishing medium under pressure and must be re-usable. Thus, the size, weight, and appearance of the apparatus has generally limited where they can be or will be stored; and in private residences and the like they are usually stored where they are concealed and are not readily accessible where they are needed.
While it is highly desirable that each fire extinguishing unit be capable of effectively extinguishing or substantially controlling the spread of various types of fires that may be encountered, if the apparatus is not immediately available in those locations where a fire emergency may occur or it has not been properly maintained, the usefulness thereof is certainly limited. Thus, it would be highly desirable if a fire extinguishing apparatus was provided that does not require maintenance, could be unobtrusively but conveniently stored in most or all areas, was simple to operate, and each apparatus would provide at least some modicum of immediate protection against a fire emergency.